Chapter 156
Chapter 156
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 156
Chapter Title: The Goddess of Destruction
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Outside, the hypnosis slaves were lined up in rows.
Each one trembling in fear, like prisoners awaiting the execution block.
"What's going on?"
"I'm sorry, Master. When I came to my senses, it was already like this...."
I turned my eyes toward where the slaves were staring.
The fields were a total mess. You could tell at a glance it wasn't the work of humans.
It looked like a herd of wild boars had come down from the mountains and rampaged through, with not a single intact patch—everything dug up and ruined.
Embarrassing as it is, I'd been so absorbed in sex with Sia that I hadn't even noticed what was happening outside.
If anything, I felt relieved.
The anxiety that had gripped me wasn't anything like this level.
If it was just the fields ruined, we could fix it easily enough.
In fact, it didn't really matter either way.
....
Why did Sia's face, full of anticipation for the harvest, flicker in my mind?
....Right. It does matter.
Sia had excitedly talked about her plans for the crops from this field.
I'd mostly tuned it out, but now it stung.
"I'm sorry.
If we hadn't slacked on guard duty because of our party, this never would have...."
The slaves dropped to their knees, pressing their foreheads to the ground.
....I never taught them to act like that.
They looked genuinely distraught.
Probably because I'd left their personalities intact at Sia's urging.
"We'll start over from scratch.
I'll handle the food supply. Any other damage?"
"Well...."
Following a slave to the barns, a gruesome sight unfolded.
The livestock had been wiped out.
The barns were overflowing with the blood of pigs, cows, and sheep.
It was more than enough evidence to confirm this was malicious sabotage.
"Not a single crop was salvageable.
It was like they'd been exposed to some blight...."
"Blight?"
「Authority of Corruption」....
They must have figured getting caught wouldn't matter.
What do I even tell Sia?
"Illeisia!"
I turned at the slaves' call.
Sia had followed me out.
"Ah...."
Seeing the destroyed fields and barns, Sia stood there in a daze.
She'd put everything into setting this up. It must feel like her heart was being torn apart.
I had no idea what words of comfort to offer.
"Who would do something like this...."
"It was a god."
"Why would a god wreck Uncle's home?"
"Because they all hate me."
"That's.... Uncle, say something.
Use your powers to make those gods unable to move. You're a god with amazing authority, aren't you?"
"I can't. If I use my authority on another god, they'll all come after me.
They're probably hoping I do exactly that. It'll give them the perfect excuse to erase me."
"...."
Exactly.
The higher gods who see me as a thorn in their side are just waiting for me to defy them.
No, they're so impatient they're provoking me directly.
The moment I touch a god as a non-human—wait, as a god who targets another god—I've violated the heavenly order.
Then they can justly erase me.
"I didn't know gods were fighting among themselves."
"We are, but....
The gods aligned with the monsters who've been hostile from the start have never harassed me."
"Huh? What do you...."
"The ones harassing me are my own side.
The ones blessed by Nimuuel. They must think my authority is too repulsive to keep as an ally."
"Our own side, waiting for a chance to get rid of Uncle?
That's.... too much."
"It's justified. Even without my authority, I'm not a man the goddesses can trust.
My hobby is toying with women using my powers, so they treat me like vermin.
All I can do is slink by quietly and hope they ignore me."
"...."
It happens often.
But it's been a while since another god showed such blatant hostility.
Why slaughter every animal in the barns?
It wasn't my imagination—this felt like a serious death threat.
"No helping it, then.
Let's bury the dead animals with the corrupted crops."
I clapped my hands to gather the hypnosis slaves.
"You lot—scrape up every bit of the corrupted crops and bury them. Animal carcasses too."
"Yes!"
"Let's head back."
I took Sia and returned to the house.
Sia was silent for a long time.
She seemed shocked.
"Quit while you're ahead.
If I look like I'm living happily, that's when the harassment ramps up."
"Is Uncle okay with that?"
"Yeah. It's a relief, really.
No matter how much they bitch, I don't bat an eye.
As long as I can have sex with pretty girls, I'm good."
"...."
I wiped the tears welling in Sia's eyes.
"You're all I need.
Last night was great. Saying this after doing it till morning feels weird, huh?"
"Pfft."
Sia couldn't hold back her laugh, covering her mouth with her hand.
I just stared blankly.
Did I make Sia laugh?
"What's so funny about that?"
"Ahaha. It's just weird hearing Uncle say stuff like that."
"What.... 'You're all I need'?"
"Ahaha!"
Sia burst into laughter.
....Apparently, me saying romantic lines is hilarious.
An inexplicable sense of defeat washed over me.
"Thanks for comforting me.
If Uncle's okay with it, so am I. I'll help keep your lifestyle going."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I'm Uncle's maid, right?
Leave the complicated, tedious stuff to me."
Right.
At least entrusting things to Sia means no dumb mistakes.
I know my abilities and my place well.
I've never felt wronged by the gods harassing me.
Even without mind-control authority, they'd hate me.
If I'd used this power to actively fight the monster gods.
I'd naturally gain followers who trust me, rack up achievements, and climb ranks.
If I were a great god, no one would dare point fingers.
But what am I really?
I ditched all that because I didn't want to, chose playing with women instead.
That's why, threatening authority or not, I'm stuck at 9th grade god.
I don't fulfill the duties that match it.
So I got pushed to the fringes, hoping neither monster gods nor human gods would notice me.
Ultimately failed, but there's still a chance.
"Should we run away first?"
"Yeah!"
I decided to leave with Sia.
To somewhere no one knows.
It'll get out soon enough, but even brief peace is fine.
We finished preparations and lay down together.
"Uncle."
"Yeah?"
"Your bed's nice and clean now."
"You told me to tidy up...."
"That's why I like it."
Sia snuggled into my arms, rubbing her face against me.
I stroked her hair, listening to her breathing, and fell asleep.
Women and their baggage—took forever to pack, and now I'm beat.
....One day of slacking should be fine.
Even if I free the other slaves, I want to take Sia.
She's pretty and competent as a maid.
The next day.
I woke to a woman's scream.
Sia was still in my arms. Something was happening outside.
"Uh, Uncle...."
Sia was trembling.
"Hide in the basement. Don't come out."
I left Sia and went outside.
"Aaack!"
"Spare me!"
Outside was a scene of merciless slaughter.
Knights in white armor and masks were killing my slaves.
The Holy Knight Order. Body servants on night watch couldn't hope to stop them.
Holy Knights are monsters made to be the gods' limbs. Twisted vanguards who think only of praising their gods.
But I'd never seen this many Holy Knights before.
How high-rank a god had descended?
"...."
It was hard to watch.
Even when slaves lost the will to fight, the Holy Knights relentlessly chased them down and stabbed them in the back.
Soon, my eyes met the goddess who brought the Holy Knights.
A freezing sensation hit me.
This is just a memory recreation, right? I hope it's not really in front of me. No, it is, but....
Her presence was so overwhelming I wanted to run.
2nd-grade Goddess of Destruction, Jermina.
White hair down to her waist, red eyes.
Skin so pale it was ghostly, with a perfectly toned figure.
Jermina evoked a white fox from the arctic.
But those eyes.
Those were unmistakably the eyes of a beast. Jermina walked toward me.
Putting on a brave front, I said,
"What brings a noble guest to this humble abode?
....And with knights, no less, going to such trouble."
"Shut your mouth."
Jermina stood still, but a knight stepped forward.
"Lady Jermina hasn't permitted you to speak."
"...."
"Bow your head!"
It reminded me of first meeting Bella.
There'd been a noisy guy by her side back then too.
Are all Holy Knights like this?
If this weren't the fixed path of 「Memory Recreation」...
I'd have hypnotized them and taken control right away.
But....
If hypnosis worked here, I couldn't explain why I lost my god memories and became human.
I'd have sexed Jermina and made her a slave.
She appeared with countermeasures against hypnosis.
And the me in this memory likely didn't know that yet.
Because at this point, I'd never tried hypnotizing a god.
Living normally among gods meant if anyone fell to authority, it'd immediately point to me.
Damn....
Even as a memory recovery process, this hurts too much.
I haven't recovered it yet, but right ahead is a truly horrific memory.
I don't want to see it.
But.... the memory flows on.
"These people here."
Jermina spoke.
"Are the ones you kidnapped from other worlds, right?"
"Yes."
"I just freed your slaves. You should be grateful.
I cleaned up your mess for you. ....Am I wrong?"
"....Thank you.
For sparing me the effort."
I bowed my head.
No good in upsetting Jermina.
She's the Goddess of Destruction.... blessed by Nimuuel with the strongest destructive authority.
Not an exaggeration to call her near-sisters with the Creator God.
"That thanks isn't enough."
As Jermina muttered, a knight forced me face-down into the dirt.
"Bow lower!
Press your forehead to the filth!"
"....Ugh, urk...."
Damn. It's this bitch.
She wrecked my barns, ruined my crops.
And.... killed my slaves.
She'd done it blatantly. Even showed the last part right in front of me.
Jermina was provoking me.
"Thank you. How can I ever repay this grace...."
"...."
"Sh-should I lick your feet?"
"...."
Jermina smirked mockingly.
"Heh heh heh.... Even if I wanted to step on you.
The spineless who grovel on their own are hard to trample.
You're so low, you don't even register."
"...."
"Didn't you say I killed your household?
Yet you offer genuine thanks? You're truly shameless."
"Yes.... I am shameless. I'm sorry. I won't show my face again."
I slammed my forehead into the ground in apology.
"....Hmph.
Well. Since even a worm like you received Lady Nimuuel's blessing...."
Yes...!
No matter how high-rank the goddess, she can't kill another god.
We're both vassals blessed by 1st-grade god Nimuuel.
As long as I don't give an opening, she'll leave satisfied. I have to do my best.
"But why didn't you bow from the start?
Your eyes raked me with impure motives—that's your sin."
"You were so beautiful that...."
"Silence!"
The knight stomped my head.
"You dare evaluate Lady Jermina? For that insolence, you deserve death a hundred times over!"
Damn.
She's here to nitpick and kill me today, no matter what.
"Heh. Don't overdo it. He called me beautiful. That's only natural. As natural as the sun warming the earth. So obvious that sometimes, without someone saying it, you forget."
"Yes!"
"I'm in a good mood now.
Offer one arm. I'll settle for that today."
"...."
"Didn't you hear? Offer one arm."
The knights restrained my body.
They'd force it out if they had to.
Aiming for permanent damage to my spirit body. A destruction goddess would do it.
No choice.... but to give it...!
"Uncle!"
The knights whipped their heads around.
"Oh?"
Jermina's interest shifted to Illeisia.
This is bad...!
"Still something left, huh."
The moment Jermina reached for Illeisia, I shook off the knights and leaped between them.
"Gah!"
To crush one 'human,' and use this much power!
Red light from Jermina's hand pierced my body, wrecking it completely.
Jermina smiled, intrigued.
"God of mind control. Who gets no thrill from any woman—to think you cherish a girl.
I must say, that delights me greatly."
"Haha.... fuck...."
We're done.
Snap!
I used my authority.
"Holy Knight Order! I am your god!"
"Yes!" "Yes!" "Yes!"
The knights all drew swords and swore oaths to me.
"All of you, kill yourselves!"
The knights guarding Jermina slit their own throats and died.
Pointless to order them to block her anyway.
Remove all but the biggest threat, Jermina.
"....Heh. Heh heh heh...."
Jermina laughed pleasantly, glaring with red eyes.
"You used your authority, did you...?"
I'm getting erased!
What a good life—no, good god life!